Final: Red Sox 6, Cardinals 5

The Red Sox kicked off their interleague series with a harrowing win over the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5.

Rafael Devers and Trevor Story each had two-run singles and Michael Wacha defeated his former team with 5.1 innings of one run ball.

After the Red Sox recorded the first two outs in the ninth, five straight Cardinals reached against Austin Davis and Tanner Houck, bringing the potential tying run in scoring position. But Houck caught Paul Goldschmidt looking at a called third strike to end it.

The win was Boston's fourth in the last five games.

WHO; Red Sox (34-30) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (37-28)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Michael Wacha ( 4-1, 2.33) vs. RHP Adam Wainwright (5-4, 2.84)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Duran CF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo LF
Story 2B
Cordero 1B
Vazquez C
Bradley Jr. RF

CARDINALS

Edman SS
Donovan 2B
Goldschmidt 1B
Arenado 3B
Gorman DH
O'Neil LF
Carlson RF
Bader CF
Knizner C

WHAT'S UP:  The Red Sox have won 11 of their last 14 games, out-scoring opponents 68-31 over that span. At 11-3 in June, the Sox are tied for the 2nd-best record in the AL and tied for the 4th-best in the majors...In the AL, they trail only the Yankees (.929, 13-1). They are in a stretch of 25 games in 27 days from 6/3-29 (10-3 so far), including 19 in 20 days from 6/3-22. ...The Sox have won 4 consecutive series: at OAK (3-0), at LAA (3-1), at SEA (2-1), and vs. OAK (2-1). The Sox are 8-1-2 in their last 11 series, after going 1-7-1 through their first 9 series of the season. .... The Red Sox were 10-19 after getting swept by CWS from 5/6-8...They are 24-11 (.686) since 5/10, trailing only the Yankees for MLB’s best record (27-8, .771). Since 5/10, the Sox lead MLB in runs (208), AVG (.281), OPS (.820), XBH (142), doubles (93), and total bases (586), and rank 2nd in SLG (.471) and run differential (+76).  The Sox are in the midst of a 9-game homestand against OAK (2-1), STL (3 G), and DET (3 G). It is the Red Sox’ longest 2nd-longest homestand of the season...They will have a 10-game homestand from 7/22-31 vs. TOR (3 G), CLE (4 G), and MIL (3 G). The Sox are 11-6 in their last 17 home games. ....The Red Sox are currently 0.5 games behind Cleveland for the AL’s 3rd Wild Card position...Entering play on 5/10, the Sox owned the AL’s 2nd-worst record (10-19) and were 6.5 games out of the final Wild Card position. A.L. ,,,,The Red Sox’ 5 primary starting pitchers have combined to post a 3.46 ERA (112 ER/291.0 IP) in their 54 starts (Eovaldi, Pivetta, Hill, Wacha, Whitlock). In their last 15 games, Red Sox starters have posted a 1.88 ERA (18 ER/86.0 IP) with 76 SO and only 16 BB. Kutter Crawford (5.0 IP, 6/12 at SEA) and Josh Winckowski (5.0 IP, last night vs. OAK) are the 1st pair of Red Sox rookies each with a start of at least 5.0 scoreless innings in the same season since Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens in 2015 (2 each). The Sox are 14-5 (.737) when their starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings, winning each of the last 8 such games and 13 of the last 14. ...The Red Sox lead the majors during June in ERA (2.01), opponent SLG (.301), and opponent OPS (.563)...They rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd in the majors in in opponent AVG (.203). The Red Sox feature 5 pitchers with at least 40.0 IP and a sub-3.60 ERA this year, tied with NYY for the most such pitchers in MLB: Wacha (2.33), Eovaldi (3.16), Houck (3.38), Pivetta (3.50), and Whitlock (3.51). Tanner Houck has allowed 0 runs in his last 16.0 IP spanning his last 8 outings (all in relief), his longest career scoreless-innings streak. In his last 22 outings, Austin Davis has allowed 1 run in 22.2 IP (0.40 ERA)...He has allowed 0 runs in his last 13.0 IP (13 G), the longest streak of his career. ....The Sox are 8-8 against the Cardinals in Interleague Play, having won each of the clubs’ last 4 matchups and 5 of the last 6. The Red Sox and Cardinals have also faced off in the World Series four times...St. Louis won 7-game series in 1946 and 1967 and Boston broke an 86-year championship drought with a 4-game sweep in 2004, then won again in six games in 2013.... The clubs last played in 2017, with a 2-game series at Busch Stadium in May and 2-game series at Fenway Park in August...Tonight begins a 3-game series at Fenway, their lone matchup of the season. ...The Sox are 2-2 in Interleague play this season...They are 281-186 (.602) all time against the NL, the highest Interleague winning % in the majors. SLUGGING SOX: The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (152), 29 more than any other team (ATL-123). The Sox lead the AL in hits (571), XBH (219), total bases (919), and sacrifice flies (26)...They rank 2nd in runs (303) and AVG (.257) and 3rd in SLG (.414). ....The Sox have hit 10 HR in their last 6 games. In their last 29 games (beginning 5/16), the Sox rank T-4th in MLB with 42 HR. Rafael Devers has homered in 4 of his last 5 games, while J.D. Martinez has homered in 3 of his last 6. .... Devers leads the majors in hits (85), XBH (tied, 40), runs (tied, 53), and total bases (158), and is tied for the AL lead in doubles (23)...He leads AL 3rd basemen in AVG (.332) and HR (tied, 16).... Xander Bogaerts leads AL shortstops in WAR (3.0), runs (39), hits (77), doubles (19), AVG (.332), OBP (.397), SLG (.491), and OPS (.888). Trevor Story leads AL 2nd basemen in runs (32), RBI (42), and XBH (tied, 23), and ranks 2nd in walks (25) and steals (8), and 3rd in defensive runs saved (7). J.D. Martinez leads AL designated hitters in doubles (23), XBH (31), AVG (.351), and OBP (.421). ...The Red Sox have 3 players batting .325+ with an .850+ OPS: Bogaerts (.332 AVG, .888 OPS), Devers (.329, .990), and Martinez (.351, .994). The Sox are the only team who features 3 qualifying hitters with a .300+ AVG as well as the only team with 3 players with an .850+ OPS. The Sox feature 8 players with 20+ RBI (T-1st in MLB)...Six of the Red Sox’ last 10 games have been decided by 2 runs or fewer, including 6 by 1 run. The Sox are 7-5 in their last 12 games decided by 1 or 2 runs, including 5-2 in their last 7...They began the season 6-12 in their first 18 decided by 1 or 2 runs. .....Since 5/10, the Red Sox have lost consecutive games only once: 5/30 vs. BAL & 5/31 vs. CIN...In their last 10 games following a team loss, Sox starting pitchers are 5-1 with a 2.05 ERA (14 ER/61.1 IP).

NOTES

* Alex Cora revealed that Josh Winckowski, who won his last start on Wednesday, with remain in the team's rotation for now, and will start Monday vs. Detroit.

* Cora added that Nate Eovaldi, on the IL with a lower-back/hip issue, is progressing more slowly than had hoped and is now expected to be out for longer than 15 days.

* Matt Barnes, who had been in Fort Myers throwing, rejoined the team, but has to build up arm strength. He threw from a distance of 90 feet Thursday and will progress from there. The hope is to get him off a mound next week.

* Kike Hernandez (hip) was scheduled to take batting practice Friday afternoon, and will be one of the hitters facing LHP Josh Taylor when he throws live BP Saturday.